We Need Your Help!

Hey readers - in a week I should be finished getting my little gadget back together that searches for news on all of the stars for me all at once rather than me having to do it one at a time (x 3 for different news sources). Sorry it's taking forever, if it makes any of you feel better I am still missing a lot of key software on my computer. I keep hoping I'll have time one evening to reinstall it, but I never do... However, in an attempt to keep things as easy as possible to run, I'm having a little difficulty with the Sera Myu cast. Not all the actresses and actors involved with the production are currently pursuing acting careers, and some have more work than others. Unfortunately, I'm not as familiar with the musicals as I am with the anime and PGSM and I have a hard time deciding which actors I should cover and which ones I shouldn't. So, we'd love to hear from you. Which Sera Myu stars were your favorites? Who would you like us to keep tabs on? Feel free to comment on this thread or send us an email !

It's Probably Not Official, But Nonetheless...

We were very amused when we saw this t-shirt on eBay and we think every Flashpoint fan who reads this site needs one of those! You could subtly send a message to CBS and CTV with this shirt the next time you're bored out of your mind on a Thursday night because Flashpoint isn't on. There's no point to this post other than to show fans this shirt. Hey, when you're dry for Flashpoint news, anything goes!

The Death of Alice Blue Wins Some Awards!

But Does This Mean The Film Is Any Closer To A Wider Release?

Well, it finally looks like a movie that was shot years ago involving two VAs is finally on a roll. Vampire flick The Death of Alice Blue won three awards at The Accolade Competition! The movie won an Award of Excellence for Leading Actress (Alex Appel), as well as two Honorable Mentions. One for direction (Park Bench) and the other for Feature Film. The movie features Barbara Radecki (Sailor Neptune, Serena's Mom, Queen Serenity) as Sherry, and Katie Griffin (Sailor Mars #1) as Katie. Katie's husband, Michael Kulas, also composed music for the movie. The official Facebook group still says that the movie is being submitted to different festivals, but no word yet on which festivals it has been accepted to as of this writing, or if there has been a distribution deal. We will keep you posted as soon as we find out more!

BREAKING NEWS: Flashpoint NOT Airing on CTV This Weekend.

We here at Moon Chase have just learned that CTV pulled Flashpoint off of the schedule on Sunday. This is a complete surprise since an earlier media release stated that it was going to air this Sunday. Furthermore there does not appear as of this writing any scheduled dates for the four remaining episodes. We're not sure if this was at the request of CBS or the producers of another TV show. As always, when the show returns to the air in Canada or the United States, we will continue to post our summaries and ratings pieces.

To the Students of Luther College...

The staff and readers of Moon Chase send out their thoughts and prayers to you that you all heal from this ordeal and carry the strength that saved you from the gym evermore. This was my alma mater, and I was disheartened seeing the footage of teachers I once knew on the news today. This was the last place I ever expected something like this to happen. I am completely at a loss of words for what else to say about this.

Flashpoint is On Demand in Poland!

In our never-ending quest to tell all our readers about Stephanie Morgenstern's (Sailor Venus #1) Flashpoint, we uncovered another country that some of our readers can catch it in! If you subscribe to nScreen VOD as part of n Satellite Service, Flashpoint is available to you! There's even a cool trailer with some techno music in the background. We are not sure as of this writing if the show has been dubbed in Polish, but we have a feeling it's in English - we don't think there's been enough time to produce a Polish dub. Nonetheless, any of our Polish readers who want to clear this matter up, you are welcome to send us an email at Moonchasers@NOSPAMPLZKTHXWITHACHERRYONTOPgmail.com. We'd even love to hear your opinions on the show and post them at another date on this site. I'm not entirely sure how this service works in Poland, whether customers are charged a flat rate for VOD or if they are charged per purchase. Now we are looking to you Australia, Britain, and the others - please announce premiere dates for the show already!

HBO Comes to Canada!

Some of our readers may be wondering why this blog covers Canadian TV industry news once in a while. There's two reasons for it, the first being that there aren't that many blogs that really cover it (especially from an anime fan's perspective) and second, many of the VAs appear on Canadian productions. So it's good to get a picture of the Canadian TV Landscape. Onto today's headline! Many Canadians wonder why American TV Channels aren't in Canada. The CRTC has mandated certain Canadian Content Laws, as well as a policy banning foreign companies from owning or operating channels north of the border. That's not to say that Canada is shut out completely from foreign channels - CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox all air up here, as well as a few specialty channels (and they are not just from the US either). However, over the years Canadians have gotten a little jealous when word breaks loose of great US-only shows that some plan trips to go watch, or go to great lengths to "acquire" them. In recent years, some Canadian channels, along with a few syndicated ones, have brought these shows to Canada (albeit later than they started). One channel whose TV shows have been a constant craving for Canada, was HBO. A few years ago, Corus's Movie Central/The Movie Network landed on the scene, and gradually added some (but not all) of HBO's programming to their schedule. Canadians were a little happier, but they still craved all the series and specials that still didn't air up North. Earlier today, Corus (YTV's Parent Company) announced that they planned to launch HBO Canada on October 30th, and cable subscribers who already subscribe to Movie Central/The Movie Network will receive the channel at no extra charge. No doubt, we will cover this within the first few days and tell you all about it! With this new deal, the full slate of HBO programming will make it to air day and date with the United States' HBO, but there is one catch - 25% of all programming must be Canadian. But, it's a small price to pay for the entire programming lineup, no? Playback Online says that this will deal a big blow to Super Channel, but we wouldn't count them out just yet. Anime fans of the older generation are better off watching Super Channel over Movie Central simply because of the series they carry. Super Channel also has more international programming than Movie Central/The Movie Network and many independent movies that the VAs have acted in air on the network. Super Channel has only been around for just about a year, and it takes a while for a network to really make it's presence in a market. In any case, we're excited for this and we look forward to seeing what HBO Canada will bring!

R.I.P. Toonami

To Everyone's surprise, last Saturday marked the end of Cartoon Network's Toonami block. While the block had its ups and downs, the block was a pioneer in anime programming in North America. In fact, I remember that on my trips to the United States I would always take the time to catch the latest popular anime on Toonami as YTV didn't carry a lot of the series they did. Just before S and SuperS were announced on YTV, I remember that I purposely made the family come home early from a shopping trip just to catch it on Toonami. Of course, I had no idea that the episode which had confused me was the end of the S season.

Toonami also frequently showed anime movies, even devoting an entire month to Miyazaki movies, something no networks have ever done, save for airing them once in a while. Toonami also strived to have something for everyone of all ages. Though many of their shows were rated for the under 7 set, many of them appealed to older viewers such as DBZ, Sailor Moon, and the Gundam series. In recent years, many fans complained of the lack of variety of "decent" anime on the channels, but suffice to say, many of us would not have known about the series we know and love today if it was not for Toonami.

Toonami also had some of the coolest CGI hosts we have ever seen on television. The older generations of TOM, Sara, and Moltar were never live to air (like the Program Jockeys on YTV) but they went a lot farther than some live hosts we have seen. They showed fans' drawings, video game reviews, and providing an outlet for some very lucky techno and electronica musicians to have their work played between shows. Some music videos even aired. Toonami had become more than just a cartoon block.

The network pulled this surprise on nearly everyone, sending around a message of excitement to fans, and then making an official annoucement last Saturday at Anime Weekend Atlanta. Toonami's Jetstream service will continue, but without the Toonami name. Toonami's staff will all be working for different areas of Cartoon Network. A new action block will take over Toonami's spot on Friday nights, but as of this writing we don't know anything about it. We will let you know as always as soon as you can.

This is truly a sad thing that has happened, and we are all really sad to see Toonami go. There will probably never be a block like it ever again in North America. But for all of the blocks recent shortcomings, the show was a major pioneer in bringing anime to the masses in the United States, and its influence will never be forgotten.

Fans wanting to relive any old clips from Toonami's heyday are urged to visit Toonami Arsenal - they even have some old clips from Sailor Moon! More importantly, for those of you who want to catch the farewell montages, Toonami Arsenal has posted them on their front page. This morning, we watched them all and we even marked all the mentions of Sailor Moon in the montages.

Montage 1 - 42 sec
Montage 2 - 14 sec
Montage 3 - 41 sec (They posted fanart of Sailor Moon, a very creative way of showing the show without having to air any of it THANKS TOEI LOCKDOWN)
Montage 4 - 39 sec (It's hard to tell if that's Sailor Jupiter or Molly from that angle).

Flashpoint Ratings September 18th

Flashpoint's season finale on CBS scored a record number of viewers in the United States - 9.66 million to be exact! The show was #1 in it's timeslot and 2.6/7 with viewers 18-49. Mark Berman is certain that the show will return on the network at a later time (and that was written hours before CBS made their announcement). This number was an all-time high for the series, and we couldn't be prouder! Even more surprising was a CTV Press release we found giving us the show's ratings ahead of BBM Canada! The show also hit a high in Canada with 1.46 million viewers, and the show peaked at 10:51 PM (9 minutes before the show ended) with a total of 1.66 million viewers. A total of 2.5 million viewers watched all or part of last night's episode. The show was #1 across all key demographics all across the country. While Anne Marie La Traverse and Bill Mustos seem to be getting all the credit in the media, we're a little dismayed there's little being said about the creators of the show, Stephanie Morgenstern (Sailor Venus #1) and her husband Mark Ellis. Without them creating the show, the producers wouldn't have this show to produce. So, congratulations again to Stephanie and Mark on a hit show, and many more episodes to come!

Flashpoint in a Flash: Episode 9

I did something different this week - I threw in both the American and Canadian commercials in the breaks for those of you wondering what sorts of commercials air in the opposite country! We all loved this episode and we're sad that it's over in the US. Full summary after the jump!


The US finale begins with the SRU swarming around a seemingly peaceful house. A woman recites a passage from Milton over and over again, Greg tries to contact someone in the house, and the SRU makes their way into the basement. A man shows up with a gun in front of the woman, and says “your time is up” REWIND! We’re now 8 years ago, and a girl named Penny is camping out in the backyard with her dad looking at stars with her telescope. The dad goes back inside to get some snacks, as she sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and someone appears behind her. She thinks it’s her dad who returned pretty quickly... fast forward to today. Penny has now grown up and awakes from her bed. Her walls are covered with murals of construction paper of the outside world. She tries to look out the window, but her ankle bracelet buzzes. On her desk, she transcribes Milton’s Paradise Lost. Back at SRU headquarters. Greg walks in and signs a female officer’s letter of recommendation for a tactical operations course. He looks at letters to his son that have all been marked return to sender. He remarks it’s just the way it always is. Back at the woman’s house, the phone rings as she is transcribing Milton. She sees it is Gerald, and she answers the phone. He tells her he has a surprise for her, and hangs up. He opens his car’s door and there’s a little girl inside. At a gas station, the attendant is watching the news (CTV News nonetheless!) and learns of a little girl who has been kidnapped 12 hours ago. Gerald walks in with the girl, and asks to use the restroom. She gives them a key. At the SRU, Jules is hesitant to sign up for a Psych evaluation, and Greg just wants everything to be copacetic (in order). Jules says she doesn’t agree with the questions, because there’s no right or wrong answer. Greg says that they are only human, and that they are going to get things wrong. At the gas station , Gerald returns the key and pays for the gas. The attendant notices the kid’s a little too scared, and she offers him a free lollipop. She swirls it in the air to look at the kid’s chin, and there’s a birthmark there that matches the description given on the TV. As she gives back change, she notices a gun under Gerald’s coat. She calls 911, says she has found the missing girl, and runs out to get the license plate. The SRU is on the scene and finds out who the car is registered, and a home address. They suit up! Gerald returns back home, and kisses Penny as if she is his. The girl walks into the kitchen, and Gerald takes off her cap revealing pigtails. He simply says “Honey, this is Lily”. ROLL CREDITS! Commercials! In the US we saw some ads including for some Kohl’s sale and Pizza Hut’s new pastas. And the premiere of NCIS, a show which none of us on staff cares about. Canadians saw commercials for CTV News, Bagelfuls, and Stephen Harper trying to convince Canadians he’s the better choice for Prime Minister (Yeah Right, I’m sorry but I don’t want Bill C-10 or C-61 taking effect). Back to the show! The SRU drives to Scarborough , while in the kitchen, Gerald praises Penny for the spic-and-span job she did cleaning. Penny asks why she is here, if it’s because she did something wrong... someone has a severe case of Stockholm syndrome. In the SUV, Ed and Greg talk about Greg’son. Ed urges Greg to go to Dallas to go see him, as it’s the only way he’ll recognize he still has a father that cares. At the house, Gerald puts an ankle bracelet on Lily, and forces her to thank him. He tells her the rules of the house, that she isn’t supposed to go near a window, or the bracelet will buzz. If she leaves the house, a wire will be tripped and she will be shocked dead. He lies to her and says the police will hurt her bad and it’s better to die. The SRU arrive at the house. Her dad told her over the phone that he has to keep her safe this way and asked him to bring her here. Gerald continues to lie to Lily when she pokes holes in his story. He forces Penny to make her lunch. The SRU gets a profile about Gerald. A contractor built this house especially with all windows frosted. He was in jail for a couple months years ago, and has no weapons registered. Gerald explains to Lily the rules are there to keep her safe. Penny wants to take her around the house rather than Gerald, and they get into an argument. Lily tries to run and is buzzed. She hugs Penny, and Gerald throws Penny in the closet for a time out. This Gerald character sure is twisted...Penny recites a passage from Milton. The SRU sets up snipers outside the house as Gerald shows Lily around. He notices motion detectors going off outside the house and the phone rings... this is where our episode began. Greg talks to him and asks him and the occupants to walk outside the house. Gerald threatens him and says he will kill Lily if anyone enters the house. As the SRU enters the house, he gives Penny a gun, and she knows what to do. Commercials! An awkward commercial about restrictions from T-Mobile, Hot Pockets Paninis, and JC Penney. Canadians saw commercials for Grey's Anatomy, Cinnamon Pecan Special K, and Winners. Back to the show! Greg tries to call Gerald again as Penny and Lily go upstairs to Penny’s room. Gerald hugs and kisses Penny, promising he will be back in 2 minutes. Penny doesn’t want Gerald to leave her alone. The SRU doesn’t know what to do to save the girl, but they eventually decide to roll under the garage door to enter the house. Lily helps Penny tip furniture down in the room. One member uses a special scanner to check the walls for surprises. The make their way through to the kitchen and around the living room. Wordy finds a box for a dog collar. Greg thinks there’s an electric circuit around the house for containment, so some members go to disable it. Ed and Wordy head to the basement, as Jules and Sam wait outside Penny’s room. They use a small camera to see inside the room, and they see Penny and try to identify her. They look around for Duglin and they don’t see him. Ed and Wordy yell in the basement for Gerald to freeze, but to no avail. Jules sees the transcripts of Milton, and Sam remembers his Dad when he sees the book. Lily shoots at Jules, Greg tries to get snipers to surround the room as Ed goes looking for Gerald...and him and Wordy find a tunnel in the basement?! They don’t know where it leads. The officer from the beginning of the episode, Kira, identifies the girl as someone who was abducted 8 years ago, and matches an age enhanced picture. Commercials! Quaker Oats, Macy’s Shop For A Cause, and Aflac Insurance. Desperate Housewives’ Kathryn Joosten appears in a Yoplait commercial and there’s a McCain-Palin ad. Change is Coming? This commercial doesn’t really tell me what they stand for... Canadians saw ads for Zellers, Iron Man on DVD, and Sheryl Crow’s Canadian tour. Back to the show! Police cars arrive at the house, as does an ambulance and an armored truck of sorts. Greg tells Jules to talk to her, because Penny needs to hear a female voice after spending 8 years at the hands of a man. Jules is scared, but Greg helps her out with advice on how to talk to her. Greg calls Spike to help out Jules and Sam. Jules works slowly to try to get Lily, but Penny freaks out and shoots again (but the SRU is safe). Lily asks how the SRU knows her name, and Penny tells Lily to keep quiet. Jules tries to get Lily to put the gun down. Penny panics and asks for Gerald, and Jules agrees to find out. She learns he has escaped through the tunnels. Kira tells Ed and Wordy that they are headed to a deserted brick factory. As they are making their way through underground railroad tracks, a man appears from the other end and shoots. Outside the house, Greg talks to Penny’s parents who seem happy that she is safe after these 8 long years. Lily wants to leave, but Penny has identified completely with her captor. Penny tells Lily a twisted story about Anne Frank, and that they can’t leave for the same reason that she couldn’t live her house. Jules tells Penny that they don’t know where Gerald is, and Penny thinks they are lying. She quotes Milton again, that without him there is no life. Lily tries to get away from Penny saying that Gerald made the story up and that she wants to go home. In the tunnels, Ed and Wordy chase Gerald. Jules promises Lily her parents are flying up from Sault Ste. Marie and that they will not hurt her. Lily runs, but Penny threatens to shoot her. Commercials! The US saw commercials for the Special K Challenge, a trailer for Righteous Kill, Lowe’s, and a Maverick ad for McCain and Palin. Canadians saw commercials for Without a Trace, Michael McCain, an apology from the CEO and President of Maple Leaf Foods about the Listeria outbreak, urging Canadians that their machinery has been sanitized, and Egg Farmers of Canada. And we’re back! Sam wants to shoot Penny to free Lily, and Greg wants Jules to stand down, but Jules tells Sam to wait. She talks to Penny in a language she can understand about choice, to let Lily choose where she wants to be. Lily chooses the SRU, and Spike grabs her and takes her to safety. Penny finally goes to the window, not being buzzed by the wire, and squints at her first glimpse of sunlight in 8 years. She watches as Lily is put onto a gurney. In the warehouse, Ed and Wordy are on the hunt for Gerald. Ed recognizes the gun he is using and counts bullets, wondering where the sixth one is in the hopes that while he reloads, he can have a chance at getting Gerald. At the house, Penny sees her parents through the blinds. They call out to her, but she moves back into the corner. Ed and Wordy encounter Gerald, and tell him to put the gun down and come to them or else in 5 seconds they will go to him. Gerald says that they don’t understand, that this is not the way he wants it to be. Ed asks what he wanted, and Gerald says he just wanted to be happy just like everybody else. Ed says he isn’t like everybody else and asks him to put the gun down. He says without Penny there is no life, before shooting himself in the head. Ed remarks that’s the 6th bullet, and walks over to Gerald. At the house, Jules talks to Penny, but once again finds herself at gunpoint while trying to reason with Penny. Greg says it’s Sam’s call to shoot. Jules makes one last attempt to help Penny , and says she wants to help her remember the girl she used to be. Greg asks her parents for memories when she felt joy and love. Jules hears all of this and tells Penny in a tone that she identifies with. Penny eventually breaks and Jules tells her there is a great big world out there that is much prettier than her room. She drops the gun, and Jules and Sam help her outside. Still slightly deranged and not used to the outside world after 8 years, she walks slowly to her parents. Greg tells Jules that he made her proud, and although she wasn’t perfect, she was human and she did just fine. Jules offers to buy Greg a drink, but Greg says he’s going to go away for the weekend. At the SRU, Kira has a ticket to Dallas ready for Greg. Back in her old room, Penny looks through her telescope, and says “the stars are still there”. The episode ends.

This was a fitting ending to a great run on two networks which far exceeded anyone’s expectations! The series is not over on CTV yet, so we’ll be keeping up our coverage of the last four episodes for all of our readers all over the world, who can’t watch the episodes or who just want a sneak peek. It’s a little odd though that the networks both chose to air commercials for just one candidate on both sides of the border rather than balancing out with the others. We also open up our inboxes to any of our viewers around the world where Flashpoint is premiering - if you read a story or learn about ratings, we would love to hear how the show is doing in your country! Don’t hesitate to send us an email at moonchasers@NOSPAMPLZKTHXWITHACHERRYONTOPgmail.com.

YTV Gets Approval From CRTC For Two New Channels

But, Shouldn't They Finish What They Started First?

Late last week, news broke that YTV had gotten approval from the CRTC for two new specialty channels, YTV Pow! and YTV OneWorld. YTV Pow! is all pow without the punch, focusing on non-violent action. The specialty channel will feature adventure shows, along with superheroes, and programs about various games associated with action series, along with current and past comic book trends. Game shows, amateur sports, and movies are also slated to make up 15% of the channel's programming. Is anyone else here reminded of Space Channel or Sci-Fi Network reading that description? YTV OneWorld looks like a clone of the network as it stands now, aimed at children between the ages of 6-17 and their families. The network will include such genres as entertainment, humor, travel, games and science and technology, and will include a 15% cap on movies and on music/dance programs. Maybe these channels could do well in the specialty market, but we think Corus should finish work (or announce if they have given up) on channels they have already won approval for, including the anime channel. It'd be nice if that was done soon, since Canadians are already being deprived of anime. We're refraining to use the word good in front of anime because there's barely any anime on TV right now. We do have a small flicker of a light at the end of this very dark tunnel - earlier this week many news outlets reported that Death Note had made the move to another Corus Network - Scream!

BREAKING NEWS: CBS Finally Renews Flashpoint!

We were ecstatic to come home from our day to finally hear the news we were waiting for! Many media outlets are now reporting that CBS has indeed renewed Flashpoint for 13 episodes next season! We would like to take this time to thank every fan who supported this show from the beginning. We have been reporting everything we possibly could about this show since last Fall, and seeing news like this really makes us jump for joy - we are elated with the success that Stephanie Morgenstern (Sailor Venus #1) and her husband Mark Ellis have achieved with this show, and we couldn't be more proud. We think that of all the North American VA stories that we have reported so far, Stephanie's has been the standout of this year - for a Canadian TV show to hit it big after such a long time on a US network is no small feat! We absolutely loved last night's episode, and although the fate of the last four episodes of the season are unknown as of this writing on CBS, we were so happy to hear it went out on a high note scoring 9.66 million viewers last night! We can tell you that CTV has moved the show to Sundays, and on September 28th the episode "Eagle Two" will air. According to the press release, the summary reads: "the SRU is handling a routine VIP protection shift when a bomb goes off. Realizing the bomb was a distraction tactic so that the VIPs wife could be kidnapped, the SRU attempts to find her. The kidnapping turns to horror when the wife is found alive - with a remote-controlled collar bomb around her neck." We'd like to extend congratulations on behalf of the staff and readers of this site to the cast and crew once again on a job well done and continued success - and we will be here just as much as we were this season next year! We will also continue to be there for all of you with summaries for the last episodes airing on Canadian television.

P.S. Last Night's Summary and Ratings will be up later this weekend.

News From The Other Side Of The Pond #17

Editor's Note: Among the few files which I lost on my computer was the backup of a very important widget I used to keep tabs on all the stars of Sailor Moon. This means I have to build it up again from scratch. PGSM had the smallest cast and crew, so I thought that was a good place to start before hitting the behemoth casts that are the musical and the cartoon. So for now, this update will cover the stars of PGSM.

Keiko Kitagawa Ranked 7th Most Popular Teacher According to Oricon!

Japanese survey giant Oricon recently completed a poll asking people who they thought played the best teacher. Keiko Kitagawa (Sailor Mars in PGSM) came in 7th place! The article's writer said that of all the actors in this ranking, Keiko is "the new kid on the block". According to some of the surveyors' opinions, they found her cute and lovable, and that with time it was very possible she could be a wonderful teacher. Coming in first place was Nanako Matsushima, second place went to Misaki Ito, and third was Kyoko Fukuda.
And while we're talking about Keiko, we're going to sneak in another couple tidbits we came across. Keiko's new movie, Handsome Suit is just around the corner, and the Daily Cyzo web magazine is having a contest for ten pairs of tickets to a preview of the movie October 9th! For more details (you have to be living in Japan) click here. The contest deadline is September 19th. This picture we have here of Keiko was taken at a promotional event for the movie last week. When Keiko was 17 years old, she read a novel called Norwegian Wood, about a man who remembered his college experiences back in the 60s. The novel became one of her favorites, and as fate would have it, the novel is now being turned into a movie. She read it again after 5 years, and had a different perspective about it's meaning now that she is an actress and has a good idea of what her identity is. She called on all her blog readers to read it too. Keiko will also be endorsing a new cell phone in Japan, the Prada Phone by LG (we wish we had this!). And lastly, we'd like to congratulate Keiko Kitagawa upon finishing her degree in Commercial Science at Meiji University! She will graduate in the spring.

Kaori Moriwaka to Give Free Q&A and Mini-Performance in Harajuku!

Kaori Moriwaka (Ikuko Tsukino in PGSM) will be having a free Q&A session and mini-performance at the Harajuku KDDI design studio on September 20th. No other details have been released at this time, as the event is being shrouded in secrecy - what does she have planned, we wonder? One detail that has emerged is that this is to promote her new podcast being offered through KDDI. This has already been a big year for Kaori with the reunion of her old girl band, the Go-Bang's.

Narushi Ikeda Cast in New Movie!

Narushi Ikeda (Sugao Saito, Minako's Manager in PGSM) has been cast in a new movie called Don-Jyu. This movie is about childhood friends who are torn apart, and eventually reconcile. The movie will be released some time next year. Filming began on September first. It is based on the award winning Chinese movie from 2005 of the same name. The movie will be directed by Tetsuya Nakashima, and stars another star who has worked with someone else from PGSM! Tadanobu Asano plays a leading role in the movie, and he worked with Keiko Kitagawa on the Docomo 2.0 commercials!

Masu Takeshi Directing New Play!

Masu Takeshi (Rei's Dad in PGSM) is seen here first from the left on the bottom row. He is directing a new play Puzzling Sunday which begins on the 19th in Tokyo. This play is a revival of a play which was very popular in 1996. It's a comedy about the dwellers of a luxury apartment: a daughter who refuses to obey her father's wish for her to get married, along with other quirky visitors. Masu has had to overcome great obstacles to work on this play, just last year he underwent surgery to fight stomach cancer. He says that his health is good today, and that he can even drink alcohol now to celebrate his play. We wish him all the best with his new play and continued good health!

Jyoji Shibue in New Drama!

Jyoji Shibue (Tuxedo Kamen in PGSM) stars in a new drama starting September 26th in Japan! It's a tragic story called Romera Love Feud and it is about Nanase, a 39-year-old woman whose father died in a car accident when she was 15, and her mother later ran away. Nanase is trying to pick up the pieces of her broken life as she tries to fall in love. The show also tells his story by going back and forth from the present to when he was younger. Jyoji plays Satoru, Nanase's best friend from her younger years. He is pictured at a promotional event announcing the premiere third from the left.

And finally, we came across some Aya Sugimoto news that is definitely for our older readers only after the jump!


Aya Sugimoto Engages in Some Strange Business?!

Aya Sugimoto (PGSM Queen Beryl) has long been known to be in touch with her sexuality. Just a few days ago, Japanese ISP Biglobe announced a new partnership with her, wherein she offers advice for couples to get more sensual with each other. This is by far the strangest endeavor we've seen from Aya. We know during the time of PGSM she gained a lot of notoriety for what she said about her ex-husband during their divorce, but reading this new website of hers gave us the creeps. However, there are some other cleaner but still awkward productions of hers on the way. In November, she will be doing a Tango dance show exploring womanly desires (we've got the poster pictured here). She feels that she needs to express the feelings of a woman. She also has a recipe book out, and the title loosely translates to "Cooking That Will Capture a Man". She has also posed for the Japanese branch of PETA, sitting down on a white block, wearing only white stilettos and holding a sign over her chest that says "Fur? I'd rather go naked". That news alone is making headlines all over the world, and we can even point you to an article in English. We're not entirely sure what phase of life Aya is in right now, but if she's happy, then we're happy.

BREAKING NEWS: Flashpoint Autographed Script Up For Charity Auction!

We just found out about this and we think that this is the ultimate for any of our readers who are Flashpoint fans (you all are, right :Þ ? ). An autographed copy of the script for the episode Scorpio is up for an auction , and bidding starts at $75. It was also signed by the production staff, including Stephanie Morgenstern, Mark Ellis, Marie La Traverse, and Bill Mustos. The proceeds from the auction go to a good cause, the Minorities in Broadcasting Training Program. This is a special non profit organization formed in 1992 to provide training opportunities to minority college graduates in TV/radio news reporting and news management. This is a collectible worthy of any Flashpoint fan's collection!

Sailor Moon Hair Still Tops With Models!

This sighting comes to us from Ian Manley! He pointed us to this link on a message board that featured scans from Japanese Fashion Mag, Ageha. Ageha is a magazine aimed at women who desire gyaru couture and all things fashionable from hairstyles to cosmetics, and features all the hottest fashion trends in Japan. For those of you who don’t know what the word “Gyaru” means, Jonathan Ross did a good explanation of it in his Japanorama mini-series a few years ago, else we’ll tell you that gyaru is a word used by women who are pushing the boundaries of their identities, particularly wanting to wear clothing that requires a tan (one of those strange things about Japanese culture we don’t quite understand here in the Western world). In this month’s issue, the models were photographed with hairstyles inspired by the Sailor Senshi - and their method for doing odangoes looks a lot less painful than the old one from Renee Scofield (I know this from personal experience T_T). The costumes are wrong, but nonetheless, we think that the many cosplayers who read this site can from the pictures discern how to do the hairstyles and better complement their Sailor Senshi costumes! Thanks to Ian for pointing us to this sighting! Click the links below to check out pictures of the special!

Sailor Moon
Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars
Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus
Sailor Chibi Moon and Sailor Pluto
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune

And for those of you who still want a little more, click here to take a look at behind the scenes of the Chibi-Usa shoot at model Sakurina's blog!

To Our New Zealand Readers: Flashpoint is Coming to You This Week!

This entry is just for our New Zealand readers - we just learned of a premiere date for Flashpoint on TVNZ's TV2! Flashpoint will premiere at 8:30 PM on Wednesday September 17th! There is even a teaser trailer with a really cool sparkling purple logo. We've been reading some rather lukewarm articles from TV critics there, and some of the things we have read are really unfair to the show. So to our New Zealand Moon Chasers and their friends - please give the show a chance. There is a lot more to the show behind the banter which TV Critic Tom Shales deems is "bouncy and bonhomie". We'd like to let him know the show worked very hard alongside retired members of the police force this show is based on to get their details right. And there is a lot more substance to "perky" Jules and "Stubble Boy" Braddock. The first episode is not as great compared to the rest that come, but the show will and does get better. It's unlike most cop shows on TV. And it has done really well on CBS in the US with high ratings and lots of viewers. It's one of the top rated TV shows here in Canada too. If ever at all you want to read a spoiler for an episode before you watch it, feel free to check out our detailed summaries on each episode - but you'll get a lot more out of it if you catch the show. By watching the show, you're also supporting Stephanie Morgenstern, who is a favorite among fans for her performance as the first Sailor Venus. You'll even get to see the face behind the voice in the first episode as she plays the hostage! So please, give this show a chance. Normally we don't care for shows like CSI, NCIS, and Law and Order, but we were all pleasantly surprised with this one and we hope you will be too.

Flashpoint Ratings: September 12th

Still reeling from the surprise of Thursday's announcement that next week's episode will be the season finale, we read some very encouraging news from TV Expert Marc Berman, who doesn't think that this is the last we have seen of Flashpoint on CBS. He reports that Flashpoint pulled in 8.5 million viewers and a 2.2/6 rating with viewers 18-49. Watch this space, we will post Canadian ratings as soon as they are available!

EDIT: Flashpoint is the 6th most popular TV show in Canada, and scored 1.289 million viewers!

Flashpoint in a Flash: Episode 8

Stephanie Morgenstern and Mark Ellis continue to bring out a better show each week! Full summary after the jump!


We begin with one of the coolest shots this entire season. The camera backs away from a Toronto courthouse. We hear sirens, see people running out the doors, a police car pulling in, and then another, and then the SRU SUV, a judge and a lawyer running in between, policemen, paramedics, and then the caution line, along with the rest of the public. We hear a voice shout “YOU LIED JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE” and Ed Lane in plainclothes has a gun to his head. How did Ed get involved in the line of fire?! Greg is trying to rush the SRU who are walking along ceiling beams to get into the courtroom. There is also a security woman in the room being held hostage with Ed. The gunman says, “Your time is up”... and REWIND! 3 hours earlier: our gunner walks out of the house, and one of the two men on the porch wishes him good luck with his lawyer today. We’re actually 90% sure that this is a house around Dufferin Mall in Toronto. He rips down posters with his face on them on street poles that say “Watch your children this convicted felon is living in our neighborhood”. He looks around in disbelief at the myriads of posters everywhere else. Back at SRU HQ, Ed gets his rifle primed and ready. Greg walks in saying he should only use one shot to the head, before praising him that he is his number one guy. Now the bad news, Ed is being sued by the son of the man who was killed in the first episode. Stephanie Morgenstern briefly appears in a flashback of the moment the gun went off. Ed’s a little shocked. At a lawyer’s office, our gunner (whose name is Michael) receives some bad news about the prosecution playing some dirty tricks in his wrongful conviction 11 years ago. Things go from bad to worse when the missing evidence from the files means that he can’t file an appeal to clear his name. Greg reassures Ed the team is behind himn 100% and his lawyer will get him out of this but Ed is stunned that he is being called to the courthouse today. He can’t understand how someone doubts his job after all that happened that day. Greg tells him that it’s all a part of grieving. Michael’s lawyer tells him he doesn’t have the time to file an appeal, and we learn that he was in jail since he was 15. All Michael wants is to have his name cleared to his family and the public so he can truly be free. Mpho Koaho’s performance is powerful! He leaves the lawyer’s office. Outside the courthouse, Ed’s lawyer walks him through what will happen and that he will get him out. Michael calls under a fake name to the prosecuting lawyer’s office, and finds out he is busy in court all day. So he goes over there to get some answers. He walks inside, is checked by security, and an officer discovers an ankle bracelet. He is called on it, but he turns away to grab a gun from another officer and hollers at everyone to put their hands up and not to move. He fires at the roof before he runs through the halls. ROLL CREDITS! __________. Back to the show! The camera shows us downtown Toronto from overhead, before sailing over the courthouse. Ed is interrogated in a library about what happened the day he pulled the trigger. The security guard is instructed by another one to put the room under lockdown, as there is someone with a gun running loose in the building. Ed asks if there is anything serious going on, while the lawyers argue over when to reschedule this hearing. Ed flashes his badge and asks for the door to be unlocked. He leaves. Ed calls the SRU to find out what is going on, and he looks around for Michael. Michael is now on an upper floor, looking around for the prosecutor. We skitter between Ed trying to take control of the situation, and Michael on his manhunt. He runs into the security woman chatting on her cell phone and holds her at gunpoint. Ed approaches them! He complies with a frustrated Michael, dismembers his gun, and gets on his cell phone to talk to Greg about what is going on. Greg pulls up outside the courthouse, and Ed relays the message that he is looking for a prosecutor. Greg picks up he is being held at gunpoint, and the SRU has to deal with Ed being stuck in this situation. _________. Greg assures the team that even though he doesn’t have his gun, he’s going to be okay. He sends Wordy to find the prosecutor, Jules to ID the gunman, and Spike and Louis to go in the building. Ed talks to Greg for a minute, but has to hang up. Greg looks at some plans and finds out where the prosecutor is, and they decide to confine him in there before taking him. Some members go up to clear out the room, while Ed tries to learn something from Michael about why he is there. The SRU moves up the stairs, as Ed answers the phone to hear about options. They are leaving an ear wig for him on the prosecutors table. Ed says to go to Courtroom 7, and puts himself in further danger by telling Michael to take him instead over the security woman. Wordy arrives to the courtroom and clears out the room, taking the Prosecutor aside. Jules sees that Ed is now handcuffed and they all worry more. Ed stalls until the absolute last second when a senior is lifted away to an exit. And now we are where the episode began. In another library, Wordy tries to ask the Prosecutor what he did, or if he knows anything about the man holding his buddy hostage. Jules learns that Michael was convicted of the murder and rape of another teenager in 1997. Michael gives Ed an ultimatum: 15 minutes to get the Prosecutor to him, or else he dies. Jules gets more information on the victim as Ed asks the security woman to distract him for a minute while he puts the ear wig in. Ed talks to him and learns that Michael was convicted with a supposed confession he never made. He connects to him as he’s trying to defend his own actions. The SRU plans to break in the courtroom through the roof and sets up a sniper across the street. We see a dramatic change in Ed, he is no longer the macho man in control, but one who is broken and questioning his own decision. The girl Michael was accused of killing was his only friend - which meant a lot to him since he was the only “black kid in the class”. We hear of his sad tale and Ed and the security woman sympathize with him. Jules finds holes in the Prosecutor’s story, and the SRU is ready to jump in. Other snipers plan their shots. Ed subtly moves Michael under the balcony. Jules tries to dig up more dirt on the prosecutor, and Ed finds out that someone who spent only minutes with Michael in the cell made up a fake story about how she died. Ed continues to try to get him to put the gun down, begging him. Spike jumps down on the balcony and throws a smoke bomb as they jump down and hold Michael at gunpoint. Ed leaves with the Security Woman, as a electric guitar mix of the theme song plays. Michael is held at gunpoint as we go to commercial while he is still holding the gun. Jules learns that the Prosecutor pulled some shady tricks in the case. Ed confronts the Prosecutor with a cassette recorder, and talks to him about some other cases wherein false confessions were conjured. Ed goes back in the room against Greg’s wishes to talk to Michael to get him to lower that gun. He tells him that there’s enough evidence for an appeal, and he doesn’t want anyone to die today. Michael tells a part of the story that no one knew, and that was that he was not the last person to see her alive. Ed assures him that they will make sure he goes to justice. Michael puts down the gun... the montage begins. Ed asks for his name as he is driven away by police. We also hear another fantastic song , Lost At Sea, from the actor who plays Ed, Hugh Dillon. He wrote this song especially for the show, and I really hope that the full version of this song is released. It’s a sad ode to his character. Michael lights a candle at Katie’s grave, lays a pink lily, and walks away. Next week: Flashpoint’s Season Finale?! The SRU rescues a child held captive for years, but soon has more than it can handle when they find she is not the only child the kidnapper held. We can’t wait!

BREAKING NEWS: What's Happening With Flashpoint?

Hey Moonies - I have watched yesterday's episode but I won't be able to blog it till later tomorrow. At the end though, I noticed something a little peculiar. CBS has announced that next week's episode will be the season finale. 13 episodes were shot this season, and it looks like the last four will not air as of this writing. We don't know what is up with CTV at this moment. We have a feeling this is because of new shows premiering on the network next week, but this leaves us all wondering when the last four will air. It doesn't make sense to us that the network would be rejecting the show in it's entirety, from what we read the show helped CBS win the ratings handsomely last night. And readers, we did not forget about Fox's abyssmal Hole in the Wall. We will be posting our full opinion on that mess later this weekend.

As always, once we find out what will happen with the show we will let you know. We have a feeling that the episodes whether they air or not will be released on iTunes along with the others already there. On the bright side, we learned that one of the creators of Flashpoint, Stephanie Morgenstern (Sailor Venus #1) has been coined a "creatrix" by one blogger, who spotted her at this year's CFC Barbecue! This is a super elite event held by the Canadian Film Centre , and invitees are big players in the industry, from actors, to producers, and everyone in between. We are so proud of all of her achievements since her VA days and in a way we also feel that Sailor Venus has achieved her dream of being an idol and schmoozing with the best people in the industry through Stephanie's work (bizarre how the actor and the character are intertwined!).

BREAKING NEWS: Yoshihiro Togashi Predictably Returns For Ten Weeks Only; Naoko Inspires Shokotan!

Sad news, Hunter X Hunter fans. Oricon via Yahoo reports that the manga will only return for a 10 week run in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. This time it reappeared after disappearing for approximately 5 months. We're sad to read this news, but at the same time not entirely surprised. It's a little odd when you try to think of reasons why a manga that was started ten years ago still isn't finished, and only has 26 volumes released. We are also a little worried what will happen to Yoshihiro after this series is finished, and fear he may "disappear" just like Naoko has. A writer for Techinsight begs Yoshihiro in this article to finish the manga, as he finds the current storyline a little too inflated, after writing a "3-minute guide" to HXH. He also writes (and we have not been able to confirm this) that Yoshihiro has participated in online gaming. Hmm, we wonder if that's what kept him from working on manga! As always, we feel your pain HXH fans and we wish we had better news to give you.


And we caught quick mention of Naoko Takeuchi in another article this week too! Turns out that Shoko "Shokotan" Nakagawa recently held an art exhibition of her own work. Lately, Shoko has added yet another facet to her idol career, by becoming an aspiring mangaka. And she reveals her art was partly inspired by the work of Naoko. Shoko has made no secret of her love for Sailor Moon, she imitates the poses of the Senshi in public, and frequently cosplays as Senshi and posts some of the pictures on her blog. The exhibition ran until September 11th at the Marunochi Building in Tokyo.

BREAKING NEWS: Michie Tomizawa Comes Out Of Retirement And A Slice Of Apple Pie!

A special event is going to be held very soon in Nakano, Japan! Anime Bunkasai is set to begin on September 20th and run until the 29th. It's a special festival where anime fans and people involved with anime (cast and crew) come together to celebrate anime! This year's theme is all about the heroes of anime! There are many neat events happening in this festival, including Anison Power, where fans get to attend concerts from their favorite anime singers! A free exhibition of the legendary mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori will also take place! There is also a Talkshow event for most days, where legendary Seiyuu and others involved with anime appear for special Q & A's with the fans. One of the lucky Seiyuu to appear at a Talkshow event is Michie Tomizawa, better known as the voice of Sailor Mars! Michie has been in retirement since she got married in 2002, but has appeared occasionally in small roles in other anime. One of her most recent roles was playing Akemi in one of our staff's favorite animes, Honey and Clover. Michie will appear for the last Talkshow on September 25th and the site also says that she has come out of retirement (but we're not entirely sure what she is up to as of this writing). Cosplay at this is welcome, and this is a must-see for anyone interested in being a Seiyuu! For more information and a link to getting tickets for this event, click here! We would love to hear from our Japanese readers (we know there are quite a few of you) who are planning to attend this event!

Also appearing at the festival will be the duo Apple Pie, who is most famous for singing Luna's image song, simply titled Luna. The song can be found on the Memorial Song Box, but a fan has kindly uploaded the song to YouTube and you can check it out here! Apple Pie also sang Ace Attacker from the PlayStation 2 game Super Robot Wars Alpha 2. Anison Power takes place on September 27th, and has been completely sold out! For more information click here.

Please Support Flashpoint!

Hey everyone - I'm still trying to get my laptop back up to speed (I'm almost there, just a few programs left to go!) but I'm trying to juggle a new semester and now this horrid cold which took my voice away today. Hopefully this weekend I will have energy again! Anyway, Flashpoint is coming back to both networks in it's original timeslot, and I caught a trailer for the episode this morning during the news. This one takes place in a courthouse and there's a hostage situation. A wrongfully convicted man fears his name may never be cleared. There's a couple cases in Canada that deal with almost the same sort of wrongful convictions that came up in my mind and the episode may be partially based on them. One is the sad story of David Milgaard, and the other is of Steven Truscott. It's very important (especially for all of you in the United States) to watch this show from now until the end. If you can't watch the show but are recording it, try to watch it on the same day. Readers of this site need to do their best to keep up the ratings of the show until CBS makes an announcement about the new season. Check your local listings and/or CBS and CTV for more information!

Breaking News: Another Rerun for Flashpoint :(

I (along with many of the rest of you Canadian fans) was looking forward to a new episode of Flashpoint tonight. It seems at the last minute CTV changed their website to show that they were going to play Attention Shopper instead of Never Kissed A Girl. Flashpoint was also not on CBS for the second week in a row, probably due to the Democratic and/or Republican conventions happening now. We here at Moon Chase are slightly dismayed at this, and unfortunately can't bring you a new summary for tonight's episode. We're all gonking along with you :s.

Flashpoint in a Flash: Episode 7

Another hard hitting episode, and we’re sure all you Braddock fans will love this one! Full summary after the jump!


He Knows His Brother

We begin at the family breakfast table. A son begs his dad not to get angry, but the patriarch slams a bowl of cereal shutting him up. The other son pulls a gun, and a maid dials the police. We hear a gunshot go off, and the father has been shot in the arm. The SRU over a bullhorn calls the family to stand still as they break in and the son runs off… REWIND! 2 hours earlier, and the sun hasn’t risen yet in Toronto. The SRU is running maintenance on their equipment, and Braddock minds a couple newbies who are in charge of monthly cleanup. Jules asks why Braddock isn’t upstairs training, and as Braddock reads the paper, he notices something that hits him. He leaves the room in a huff, and Jules sees the headline: 3 troops in Afghanistan are dead. Cut to a glorious mansion, and the son with the gun (who’s name is R.J) is climbing the walls to get in through a window. He makes his way into his brother’s room and wakes him up. Braddock calls one of his army buddies to find out what happened, and we learn that it was one of his army buddies that died. And that he wasn’t killed in the line of duty, but instead committed suicide. Braddock is shocked, and his army buddy tells him he won’t be going to the funeral. R.J tells his brother Simon that he is no longer at military school, and suggests that he runs away with him to escape the family. Simon says he has a future at some prestigious universities and their mother comes to their room and calls them down to breakfast. And here we are where the episode began. The father belittles R.J and is angry – he asks him to pay back every penny. R.J. was a delinquent and the family has tried everything to put him on a straight path. They argue about what Simon’s future is, and Simon tries to stop the argument, and the cereal bowl is slammed. R.J. pulls the gun… and… ROLL CREDS! After the break, we are shown some very beautiful shots of Rosedale Valley. This is one of the nicest areas in Toronto! We are back at the table and R.J. is threatening his father with a gun that’s a family heirloom. The maid calls the police… Jules tries to talk to Braddock and console him as he throws a few punches to a punching bag. Braddock tells Jules that his army buddies had a deal: if they commit suicide, they no longer mean anything to them because they gave up just like that. The alarm goes off, and Braddock asks if Jules is driving. The SRU gets into motion…Simon asks R.J. to give him the gun, and to go back to school, but R.J. says he can’t go back. Sirens go off, and R.J. gets scared. Ed Lane goes to talk to the officer and learns he’s new on the job. He scolds him for sounding his sirens. We learn that R.J.’s Dad, Rolland Strachan is a famous defense attorney and his family was rich from the times of the goldmines. Inside the house, Rolland tells his son that the gun was used by real men and that he can’t do anything with it because he’s a coward. R.J. fires the gun. Simon begs him for the gun again, but as the phone rings with a call from the SRU, R.J. runs away into the ravine behind the house. Braddock manages to catch him running among a flurry of smoke bombs. Braddock chases him for a little before he calls a manhunt. Commercial Break! The SRU is mobilizing in the ravine behind the house, and they learn that there are bystanders in the ravine. Spike reveals an acoustic detector to find anyone moving in the area. They work out their search patterns, and Greg Parker gives him a short profile of R.J. The SRU starts searching quad by quad. Dr. Luria gets on the phone with Greg, and she goes to the military school to investigate. Rolland is moved out of the house on a stretcher, and tells Simon to remember who he is. The SRU is searching in the woods, and Spike is a little scared of the woods. The SRU spots two girls hiding in the woods. Braddock talks to the family. Simon tries to protect his brother. But Braddock points out a big fault in his story based on where the bullet was. Simon says he will tell the truth, but runs to his room to call R.J. to see where he is. R.J. makes him an offer to meet somewhere at noon. The SRU learns that R.J. has a few army tricks up his sleeve with a few stolen gadgets. Simon tries to leave, but he is stopped by Braddock. Greg says that his phone has been tapped, and they know that he’s talking to his brother. Dr. Luria tries to learn more from the military school’s principal, but she learns nothing without the parents’ consent. One of the cadets mopping the floor asks if it’s about R.J. and Luria goes to talk to him. The SRU arrives at a seemingly abandoned trailer and they quietly enter thinking R.J. is in there. Jules fires tear gas into the window, as they enter. Ed discovers that his cell phone is in the trailer, and they find a piece of foil with crystal meth. Commercials! Greg tells Simon and his mother that R.J. was using Crystal Meth and that he is probably very mentally unstable right now. He asks Simon for more information, and the mother who can’t deal with this right now, sips her wine and advises Simon to leave before his father comes back. She says she is sorry she couldn’t do anything about him. Greg starts to leave the room when Simon decides to talk and tell them where R.J. is hiding. He rides with Braddock into the ravine to point out the location. The SRU goes through the thicket , and Greg tells Braddock to walk away from the kid. He gives him an on the fly lesson on how to talk to the kid and what to ask him. Dr. Luria is talking to more cadets at the school, and learns more about R.J. He’s a good kid, but turned to meth when he didn’t want to sleep anymore. He was good at chemistry, and learned how to make it. There was an altercation with the principal, and R.J. went ballistic on him. For standing up for his buddies, he got kicked out of school. Jules patches together a potential misleading footpath that R.J. has planned, and the SRU decides to go backwards to see what they find. Braddock asks Simon about how the father treated them growing up. R.J. is silent. Braddock tells him the story of a guy he knew who managed to turn his life around despite his upbringing. Simon looks at his watch, and Braddock asks if there is somewhere he needs to be. The SRU hears a shot fired and they know they are near R.J. Braddock points out the location and makes an attack plan. The SRU runs through the woods into another person, and they find out she ran into R.J. … R.J. is hiding behind a tree and fires a bomb at an SRU member who is down! Commercials! Spike was the one who was hit, and they learn it was with a homemade bomb, and once again he talks about how Romans don’t do well in the woods. Ed is angry, but Braddock wants to talk to Simon again. He knows brothers won’t turn on brothers, but Braddock thinks he can help. He reasons with Simon telling him that he has the chance to help his brother before more harm is done. Simon finally walks through the woods to find R.J. . He appears out from behind a bush, and Simon says that he shouldn’t have hurt that cop. R.J. is a little deranged and not himself and starts acting fresh. Simon says he is scared of R.J. We learn R.J. took the drugs to stop the nightmares, and that he wanted to just take Simon away from home. Simon remembered the time R.J. saved him from his father’s belt, and that he was never going to let him go. R.J. tries to run, but Simon tries to pin him down. The SRU takes him away, and Simon cries for them to let him go. Simon says he is sorry. Rolland arrives back home from the hospital, and Ed tells him he can’t come back to his house. He asks who he can call when he himself needs a big time lawyer. He leaves the house, and Ed tells Jules that R.J. is getting a psychiatric evaluation instead of going in jail because he doesn’t belong there. Jules says Braddock left for some personal matters. The montage begins, Simon visits R.J. in the hospital, but they can only talk to each other through a window on the door. Braddock drives up to a bridge over a highway and watches as his friend’s body as it passes below him in a motorcade, tears streaming down his face.

This episode showed a side of Braddock we rarely get to see, he is more than the timid guy trying to make his way up the ranks. The next episode, Never Kissed a Girl will air tonight, and looks really good! From CTV: Having served 12 years in prison for the murder of his teenage sweetheart, when he was 15 -- a murder he didn't commit -- Michael Jameson is finally free on parole.

Flashpoint Ratings: August 21st

Flashpoint's success continues in the United States and Canada! On CBS the show scored 7.29 million viewers, and was the #2 program watched that night! For adults between 18-49 that night, it scored a rating of 1.9/5. In Canada, BBM reports 1.177 million viewers and was the fourth most watched program that week behind the Olympics and their closing ceremonies, and CBC's National News.

Flashpoint Acquisitions!

Hey everyone: My laptop is very slowly coming back into being. Today if I get all my productivity software installed and running, i should be able to watch He Knows His Brother and get a summary up. We have more exciting news for all of our overseas readers in Britain and France! Britain's ITV3 just picked up the show and all 13 episodes are slated to air on their fall schedule! Jay Kandola, Director of Acquisitions at ITV3 said "Flashpoint was really this year's surprise summer hit on Network TV in the USA. The series already has made the unusual leap from Canadian TV to CBS in the states and now will find its perfect home in the U.K. when it arrives on ITV3." We encourage all of our British fans to watch this show when it airs! Et pour vous en France - regardez Canal Plus! Flashpoint est une série à guetter prochainement sur Canal plus. I am not sure when it will start but my guess would be in the spring at the earliest since the series would likely need to be dubbed or subtitled for the French market (and that takes at least a few months to do). Congratulations (et Felicitations!) to Stephanie Morgenstern and Mark Ellis on Flashpoint's continued success around the world!

Hunter X Hunter Returns (Again)! And Some Older (but new) Naoko News!

What you are seeing here is a scan of an official advertisement found in last week's Shonen Jump magazine in Japan. Yoshihiro "Mr. Naoko" Togashi's Hunter X Hunter will resume weekly publication on October 6th. As of this writing, we are unsure how long it will return for, but we would not be surprised if it was only for 10 weeks. On October 3rd, the 26th volume will be released. We're a little surprised there's been little news coverage of this in the Japanese media, we've had to rely on blogs and 2channel to bring this story to you. New-Akiba says that many fans are in disbelief and also don't think that the manga is back for a long run. We've also read many opinions that hyping the manga's return like this is a strategy to bring in new readers , so that those who have not caught up to the new chapters will go out and buy the previous volumes. If this is so, we think that this stunt can only work for so long. It would probably be better if Yoshihiro could think of an ending already and finish the series, putting his fans (and possibly himself) out of misery.

And we have a piece of old Naoko Takeuchi news that is new news to us! Not a big piece of news, but this one comes to us a fan who got this from another friend, an artist on deviantArt named KinnoHitsuji. Blessings is a "publication for friends and supporters of Catholic Charities and its programs". In April of 2004, four students (two elementary, and two high schoolers) from St. Veronica’s After-School Academy's Kids of America Youth Journalism Club had the opportunity to visit Japan for a week to participate in an international youth reporting trip. They were lucky enough to convince Naoko to break her moratorium on interviews and meet with these students. One of those lucky students, Keisha Miles, said "She was nice and gave us autographs, journals and drew a picture of Sailor Moon." There is even a picture of her in the issue meeting with the students. This took place during the midst of PGSM, and doesn't really give us a clue about what she is up to now. Though we do find it a little strange that she held a moratorium on interviews during the run of PGSM. Why wouldn't a creator who had a huge hand in the production of a TV show want to talk about the show and help promote it? In any case, this was a neat find, and fans who want to read it can go read it here.